tenet
Active Member
Posts: 431
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Post by tenet on Jun 12, 2017 17:15:24 GMT
Just back from a week on the Thurso – slow start with a low river but a deluge on Tuesday put the river up 70 inches which is the biggest June flood in over 20 years. This put the fishing out for a couple of days but Friday saw the river slowly dropping and fish starting to appear. Over Friday and Saturday I took 5 fish and lost 2 more at the net. Some pictures of the river and the fish taken. Used my Shakey switch rod on the low water but reverted to bigger guns after the flood with fast sinking tips and 11/4” brass tubes. Had a go with the hotels Mckenzie FX1 which is good, in fact very good but would be hard pressed to find the extra £700 over and above the Mackenzie Perflex which the Hotel also let me try. A tough week and to get the best out of the river you must take a ghillie. We made a big mistake 2 years ago in going it alone – this time sense prevailed and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
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Post by G Ritchie on Jun 12, 2017 17:40:56 GMT
Well done, some nice fish.
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Post by allysshrimp on Jun 12, 2017 18:16:18 GMT
Great stuff Tenet, well done.
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Post by robmason on Jun 12, 2017 20:31:03 GMT
Well done on the fish. Bizarrely I was thinking today (whilst casting a switch rod across the modest river Tamar) that a switch rod would be out of place on the Thurso! Wrong, obviously.
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tenet
Active Member
Posts: 431
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Post by tenet on Jun 13, 2017 8:40:48 GMT
Rob, the Thurso isn't a big river and at normal heights (under 18") a switch rod is probably the best option as the fly has to be worked on many of the beats and pools and on some "backing up" is the order of the day. The characteristics of a switch rod viz length and weight make it the perfect tool when coupled with a suitable spey profiled line.
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Post by sinkingtip on Jun 13, 2017 10:19:19 GMT
Excellent work Doug - thanks for posting.
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tenet
Active Member
Posts: 431
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Post by tenet on Jun 12, 2018 8:08:59 GMT
Back home from the Thurso after a fruitless week. Rose a fish in the Fence pool on beat2 and that was it. River really low with Loch More down 10 - 15ft with just a trickle passing through a gate. Had a good drive around the area along the coast road to Tongue and then inland to Altnahara. All the rivers (Forss, Halladale, Naver et al) showing their bones and the lochs well down. Highlights seeing a Pine Marten, Marsh Harrier and an Osprey taking a trout from Loch More. The rods fishing this week and next are really going to struggle as the river is now down to ZERO.
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Post by devronmac on Jul 30, 2018 22:09:36 GMT
Been absent from the forum for a while. I too had a few days on the Thurso during the last 3 days in June. Didn't bother to fish beat 5 on the Thursday but instead spent an enjoyable day in very bright conditions trout fishing on Loch Toftingall. Friday was overcast for most of the day and I was on Beat 3. I rose 4 fish to the hitch which did not connect but finally landed a nice sealiced 4 pound grilse in the botom pool of the beat again on the micro hitch. Went back out in the evening and rose another two fish that did not connect. Water level in the river was minus 2.5". On Saturday the sun shone out of a cloudless blue sky and the the river was hopeless but we did try but only extracted a few brownies from Loch Beg on Beat 12.
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tenet
Active Member
Posts: 431
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Post by tenet on Jul 31, 2018 7:39:22 GMT
Things have got even worse since June Mel - river now near its lowest point since records began and stories of the estuary stuffed with fish waiting the rains. I did manage a good tan from my trip and only moderate damage to my liver. Thanks for posting and well done on the fish in extremely trying conditions.
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